Garment-supporter



' (No Model.)

R. s. WILLARD. GARMENT SUPPORTER.

N 357,137. Patented Feb. 1,1887. 0 15,3 1

@ 33; [L14 @bboma- \NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RODNEY S. VILLARD, OF ST. ALBANS, VERMONT.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,137, dated February 1 1887. Application filed November 18,1886. Serial No. 218,768. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RODNEY S. WILLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Albans, in the county of Franklinand State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment Supporters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact-description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to-make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon,which forma part of this speci-' fication.

My invention relates to an article made of spring-steel wire, provided at one end with a loop for the attachment of a strap and at the end opposite said loop with an eye, and with intermediate parallel spring-holding wires or jaws.

' The object of my invention is toprovide means for supporting a garmentsuch as a stocking-by parallel spring clasping or pinching wires, in connection with a device to prevent the garment from being drawn down into the eye; and it consists in the device hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a plan of the supporter; Fig. 2, an enlarged view of the eye with an eyelet inserted therein; Fig. 3, a similar view representing the eye as filled with a solid piece; and Fig. 4represents afilling-piece secured in the eye at one point with solder or other projection.

The upper loop is indicated by 1, the parallel holding-wires by 2 2, the eye by 3,v a flanged filling therefor by 5 and 6, and a fastening of solder by 7. As will be understood, a strap or band is usually secured in the upper loop,',1, and fastened above to a garment on the person of the wearer. A piece or fold of the garment to be supported is drawn into this loop and pressed down between the parallel spring-wires 2 2 and is there held. These wires, which normally lie close together and in contact, are spread apart slightly, but through their whole extent, by theinsertion of the fold. An eye, 3, is',provided, which obviates the sharp angle that would be formed were the wire simply bent upon itself without such eye or equivalent.

If the eye above described is not guarded in some manner, the garment supported is liable to bedrawn down into it by accidental or exceptionally violent pulls, and then, if the fabric is light and thin, to be drawn entirely out; or if it be coarse it may become packed in the eye in such manner as to be removed only with difficulty. To obviate this evil without impairing the elasticity of the eye or obstructing the movement of the parallel holding-wires, I insert in the eye a piece of metal or other suitable material shaped to nearly or quite fill the openingin the same and extended laterally and circumferentially, as shown at 4 on the drawings, to partly embrace the wire of which the eye is composed, and in such manner that it will be retained securely in position in said eye. For this purpose an eyelet of usual form is suitable, or a solid piece of metal or other substance provided with a circumferential groove or its equivalent maybe used.

According to one method which I have de vised'for carrying my invention into effect, I place in the eye a piece of soft metal, which is smaller circumferentially than the eye and thicker than the wire. This piece of metal is then flattened and spread superficially at its ends by the aid of a die and hammer, or in any known way; or a simple ring of metal of the proper dimensions may be inserted and then expanded at the ends, as customary in securing eyelets in position. Other ways of carrying out the invention will be obvious to skilled mechanics.

Instead of a circumferential groove small projections at different points might be made to serve the same purpose, and solder may in some cases be used at one point to secure said piece in place, as illustrated in Fig. 4. It should not, however, be rigidly secured by solder or otherwise around the main part of the circumference of the eye, as in such cases it would impair the elastibity of the device. Preferably the eyelet or other pieceshould not quite fill the eye,though it may do so and not defeat the operation 01' the device,as the movement of the wire when the holding-jaws are spread by the insertion of a fold of cloth or other object is outward, and the slight motion of the wire of the eye would not be checked, as described, whereby a garment is prevented though it were normally filled by an eyelet or from being drawn into said eye. [0

other piece. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in Having thus described my invention, what presence of two witnesses. 5 I desire to secure by Letters Patent is RODNEY S. VILLARD.

Agarlnent-snpporter provided with holding I \Vitnesses: jaws or wires terminating in an eye having se- ALBERT I. CROSS,

cured therein t piece or eyelet, substantially STEPHEN E. ROYCE. 

